Chapter 22: The Perfect Date
Zen did not give me much information about where we were going. The only thing he would tell me was to "dress casual".
"Casual business or weekend casual?" I prompted. "Or maybe just causal-casual…"
Zen scrunched up his face and gave me funny look. "What's 'casual-casual'?" he asked.
"You know," I said, gesturing to the yoga outfit I was wearing. "Casual-casual."
Zen bit his lower lip, looking me up and down. "Although you look fine," he said, pausing, his red eyes fastened at the point where my tank top shortened to reveal my belly button. "More than fine, actually… but I think maybe not casual-casual."
"Humph," I said, eyeing him closely. "You're not giving me much to go on."
Zen eyed me sideways and smiled. "You're not big on surprises, are you?" he said.
"I'm not necessarily against surprises," I said, smiling back. "I just like to know things ahead of time."
"Right..." he said, shaking his gorgeous head. "Let's just say it's nothing fancy and there won't be a dress code." When I started to open my mouth to say something else, he stuck up a hand. "That's all I'm going say. Go get dressed."
"Fine," I muttered under my breath. Pretending to be pissed off, I stomped off to bedroom.
"You're being just too cute right now, by the way," Zen called after me. "Too fucking cute…"
I ostensibly shot up a middle finger as I shut the door.
Where could he be taking me? I wondered. Nothing fancy, so not theater. I scratched my head in thought as I turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. Not a big dinner out… That really wasn't his style… Well, there was only one way to find out…
I quickly showered and got dressed, deciding at last on relaxed weekend casual: a blue jean mini-skirt, cream-colored cotton top with a front lace-up sweetheart neckline, and my new strappy sandals. After tying my chestnut hair up in several different ways, I finally decided to leave it long and loose.
When I emerged from the bedroom, Zen was sitting on the couch head bent over and typing furiously into his phone. Probably in the chatroom, I thought.
"Damn," he said without looking up. "Jumin is making an ass out of himself, surprise, surprise…"
"Is Mi-Sun logged on?" I said, referencing the new party coordinator Saeyoung and Saeran had selected as a perfect "match" for Jumin. I walked over to kneel on the couch next to him so I could peer over his shoulder. The conversation was well in progress.
Jumin: Elizabeth the third is a very special breed of Persian…
Mi-Sun: I can tell by her markings…
Zen: …
Yoosung: [confused emoji]
Jumin: You certainly are well-versed in cat breeding...
Mi-Sun: Proper breeding is important…
Jumin: Indeed…
"Wow," I said out loud to Zen. "They are really made for each other…"
"Yeah, right?!" Zen replied. "Saeyoung and Sarean really know their shit."
Zen: Well, although this conversation is riveting, I'll have to leave you to it...
Yoosung: Zen! Don't leave me here alone with these two cat nerds...
Zen: Sorry buddy… MC is ready and we're going out…
Yoosung: On a date?
Yoosung: [happy emoji]
Zen: Yes, of course, on a date…
Jumin: I can only assume you're referring to the kind of date where you take a lady friend somewhere and spend money on her?
Zen: [angry emoji]
Jumin: Well, all I can say is it's about time…
Jumin: Are you all set up for funds?
Jumin: Do you need to borrow my car? I could send Driver Kim right over…
Mi-Sun: Oh Jumin, that's so thoughtful ^^
Zen: We don't need anything from you, jerk.
Mi-Sun: Zen, so rude for such a pretty face T-T
Zen: Yeah, whatever. Gotta go.
[Zen has left the chatroom]
Zen slammed the phone down on the couch. "That jerk!" he said. "He's still got to troll me… and now he's got a little partner in crime, too…"
I put my hand on his knee, leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh Zenny," I said, softly. "Isn't this what we wanted?
He sighed, closed his eyes and sucked in a long breath. "Yes," he said, rubbing his temples. "...but it just hurts sometimes."
After a few moments, Zen finally opened his eyes and looked at me. "Damn, Princess," he said. "What are you wearing?"
"Like you said," I said. "Nice and casual…"
Zen's eyes lingered on the middle of my chest, where the lace-up tie was tied neatly in a bow. "Are you even, uh, wearing a bra?" he said.
I looked down. I knew there were gaps in the fabric where the lace-up tied together, but I didn't think you could really see anything. God, Zen could get so possessive sometimes.
"What?" I said, playfully batting my eyes at the actor. "Do I even need one?" Before he could even answer, I leaned over and kissed him hard on the mouth.
"Baby," I said, leaning back from the kiss but leaving our foreheads touching. "Don't be so possessive... it's unbecoming."
Zen sighed, realizing I was right. "OK," he said, getting up from the couch. "Fine, you win." He turned to me and pulled me up by both hands, looking me up and down.
"Wow, Princess," he said, exhaling a long, low breath. "Don't get me wrong, you look great…" He shook his head as if he was trying to shake away a thought. My cheeks colored thinking about what that thought might be. "It's just I really, really want to take you out on this date…" He moved toward the closet, opened it and got out two helmets.
"Come on," Zen said, tossing one to me. "Let's get out of here before I start acting on other ideas…"
"You going to tell me where we're going yet?" I said, squeezing Zen around the middle. I loved being on the back of his motorcycle, resting my head against the smooth surface of his leather jacket.
"Not a chance," he said. "Just be patient, Princess."
We drove out of Zen's neighborhood and through several other districts until we finally reached the center of the city, where we were surrounded by high rise buildings and city centers. Where could we be going? Zen seemed to sense my thoughts.
"Don't worry, Princess," he said. "We're almost there."
We made our way down a few more busy streets, weaving in and out of traffic. Finally Zen made a left and turned onto Chungmuro Avenue. When he pulled into the parking garage at Daehan Cinema, I felt confused.
"We're going to see a movie?" I asked.
"Nope," Zen said, shutting off the ignition. I watched as he pulled a bag out of the storage compartment behind the seat of the bike.
"What's in there?" I said.
Zen smiled knowingly. "You'll see…" he said. He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the cinema.
"We are going to the movies…" I said as he lead me inside the double glass doors and toward the elevators.
"Nope…" Zen said, still smiling. He was enjoying this. When we got into the elevator, Zen pressed the button for the 8th floor. I was completely puzzled. If we weren't going to a movie, then where were we going?
"Zen?" I said, impatiently.
"Just wait, pretty girl," he said.
When the elevator doors opened onto to the eighth floor, my mouth dropped in surprise. Stepping from the enclosed space of the elevator, I felt the warm spring breeze on my face. We were outside on the top of the building - and in the middle of a garden. Roses of every color surrounded us, meticulously cultivated in a maze of rows.
"What is this place?" I said. Zen took my hand and led me forward. Rows of roses walled us on either side, yet the entire Seoul skyline was visible just above the bud of their blooms. "My god," I exclaimed.
"You like it?" Zen said.
"Do I like it?" I said, incredulously. "I love it."
Tucked in amongst the roses were little nooks and spaces - almost like "rooms" - decked out with comfy looking wicker chairs and tables, perfect for those looking for a little privacy or solitude. As we made our way through the maze, I noticed that despite the beauty and seclusion of the this place, only a few people were taking advantage of it. Aside from the few couples we encountered, the place was mostly deserted.
"Nobody really knows about this place," Zen said.
"But you do…" I said.
"Yeah," Zen said. "I've been here a few times…" When we got to an empty table near the north corner of the roof, he gestured for me to sit down, and I made myself comfortable amongst the myriad of cushions. "I used to come here a lot more to write, or read scripts," Zen said. "It was a place where I felt I could work and feel in solitude, but still feel inspired…"
"I can see totally that…" I said. The view from the rooftop was breathtaking. We were in the center of the city and buildings of all sizes stretched out around us as far as the eye could see. The sun was also just getting ready to set, so the whole scene was bathed in orange-pink twilight.
"The reason I wanted to bring you here, the reason I thought you would like it..." Zen said, pausing to reach for my hand across the table, his red eyes twinkling. "...is because it reminds me of the gardens in that book you like…"
"What book I like?" I said.
"You know," he said. "The one you're always talking about, the one about that girl who doesn't want to get married…
"Pride and Prejudice?" I said. He was right. The rooftop rose garden did have a 19th century flair about it. The meticulous way the hedges were trimmed, the fact that it basically was a garden maze made it seem downright Victorian. "Wait, how would you know that?"
Zen smiled and bit his bottom lip.
"What?" I said. "You've been reading it?"
"Well," he said. "I had to see what the hype was about… But don't fash yourself... I'm not finished with it yet."
I squeezed his hand, smiling from ear to ear. Zen, the actor, my boyfriend, was reading my favorite book just because it was my favorite book. "You are so sweet," I said, really meaning it. I caressed his wrist with my thumb. "You know that, right?"
"Sweet and handsome," he said. "Very handsome… Some might say 'irresistible' am I right?"
I got up and threw myself in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Too right," I said, kissing him. He tasted sweet and delicious.
"That guy, though," Zen said, when the kiss was over. "You know, Mr. Darcy…"
"Yeah?" I said, curious. "What about him?"
"Well, he kind of reminds me of Jumin…" Zen said.
"Hmm…" I said, thinking. He was right. Mr. Darcy was kind of like Jumin, the way he was so uptight and formal, so unable to access the emotional side of himself. I smiled. Was I really just now talking about books with my boyfriend? I pinched myself under the table to prove it was real before I answered. "Yeah, I could see where you'd think that..."
"Please tell me that Elizabeth's able to change him in end," Zen said, running his hands through his silver hair with a stressed out look on his face.
"No way I'm spoiling the ending for you," I said, giving him a shake of the finger.
"Fair enough," Zen said, and then he sighed. "Well, I thought, well, maybe I was hoping that Mi-Sun would do something for Jumin, but she just seems to be making him worse…"
"Give it some time," I said, reaching over to rub his knee under the table. "Besides, the important thing is that Jumin is happy."
Zen gave me a look, like why-do-you-care-so-much-about-why-Jumin-is-happy, and I decided to let it go. I motioned to the bag on the table, in favor of changing the subject. "What's in the bag?" I said.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Zen said, brightening. "That's dinner…"
"You brought dinner?" I said, jumping up and reaching for the bag. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I opened the bag and delicious smells started emanating from it.
"Oh wow," I breathed, as I reached inside, pulled out a small cardboard box and opened it up. There were several min-rice rolls wrapped in plastic. "You got Kimbap?" I exclaimed. I unwrapped the plastic, lifted the seaweed-wrapped rice roll to my lips and took a bite. "Mmm... kimchi and shrimp!"
"Yup," Zen said, beaming. "Your favorite…"
"When did you get this?" I said.
"Before you got home, I went out…" he said. "Remember our shoot was cancelled…"
"What else is in here?" I said, going back to the bag. I reached back inside and pulled out a smaller paper bag with warm buns inside. "Fish-shaped buns!" I nearly shouted. "Are these from the guy who sells them outside your house?"
Zen nodded with pride. "The very one…"
In a fit of excitement, I popped over to sit back on Zen's lap, bringing one of the fish-shaped buns with me.
"I love fish-shaped buns," I said, taking a bite. Red bean paste oozed from the middle and trickled down my chin. Zen reached up a finger to wipe it way.
"...and I love you," Zen said, popping the finger with the red bean paste into his mouth. Something about the way he did this stirred something deep between my thighs. So much so I needed to put the fish-shaped bun back on the table and turn to cup both of his cheeks with my hands. Looking deep into his shining red eyes, I wondered whether or not you could see someone's soul. I could certainly feel his, and I wanted to give him mine.
"Zen," I said, pulling his face toward mine. I kissed him long and hard, and then our lips started moving together in our familiar motion, our tongues tied together, deep exploring each other's mouths.
As we continued to kiss, I let my fingers get lost in his silken hair, pulling out the ponytail holder and letting it fall to the ground. I felt his hands slide up and down the sides of my waist and then reach around to the front of my shirt.
He stopped kissing me for a moment and smiled, looking devilish. Almost like a dare, he reached down for the tie at the front of my blouse and pulled the loose ends. When the bow came undone, he looked down at my bare breasts inside my now open shirt. My nipples were hard and erect and I had this tremendous urge. I wanted him to suck on them.
"Do it…" I said in a breathy voice, as I pulled the back of his head toward my chest. I groaned as I felt his lips close around my left nipple and begin to suck. The heat between my legs was already intense, but the fire grew triple fold. I was pretty sure my panties were already damp. A low moan emanated from the depths of my throat.
Zen was sucking on one breast, but he was not one for favorites. His mouth on one breast, he had one of his hands up my shirt, gently squeezing the other, expertly massaging the nipple between his thumb and forefinger, making it harder.
"Oh, god, Zen," I whisper-moaned, hoping no one else could hear me. The corner of the garden we were in, I remember, was pretty vacant. The other three couples we saw were at least three alcoves away, hopefully out of ear shot.
I felt Zen's hand let go of my breast and slide down my body to my bare thigh. I held my breath, willing him to reach up and touch me between the legs, to relieve the ache I was feeling there. I sighed as I got my wish, feeling his hand move upward under the fabric of my skirt. When his fingers brushed the wetness of my underwear, I moaned yet again.
"Oh Princess," Zen said, his breath hot in my ear. "You're wet."
Eagerly I lifted my hips up and let him tug my panties out from under my skirt. Soon his fingers were all over my bare pussy. My breath quickened and my breathing came harder, my mind wild with lust.
"That's better," Zen said. I shut my eyes and grinded my hips into his fingers, not really caring that I was moaning like an animal. Zen knew exactly where to touch me. He knew exactly when to slide his fingers from my clit to the opening, and when to shove his fingers inside.
"Oh, god…" I moaned, helplessly, completely at his mercy. "Zen…"
"There you go, pretty girl," Zen whispered as he picked up the rhythm of his fingers in response to my grinding. The tension was building, my pleasure was swelling and I was getting close, I could feel it, and I said so…
"I want you to cum," Zen whispered in my ear. "Cum for me, baby…"
As he said the words, I exploded, sensation erupting like a wave between my legs. I let out a cry and then a whimper as I shuddered and quaked in Zen's arms, feeling super sonic waves of pleasure surge through me again and again.
"Damn, babe," Zen said, smiling like a beast, when the quaking had stopped. "You're so fucking hot."
That was when I felt his hardness beneath his jeans, thick and urgent against my thigh. I turned to straddle him and immediately reached down to pull at his belt buckle. Zen instinctively reached around to his back pocket for a condom.
"Here," he said, breathlessly, handing me the square flat package.
By now, I'd already freed his cock from his jeans, his boxers, and it was standing before me, straight up at attention and ready. I couldn't help myself when I saw the bead of pre-cum oozing from the tip. When I leaned over to lick it off, Zen moaned.
"Oh, MC," he said, gripping my thighs.
Quickly, I ripped off the wrapper of the pro-offered condom with my teeth. No need for anything fancy this time, I just put it on the tip of his dick and rolled it down. I was already ready for more, and I wasn't in the mood for the showy stuff. One knee on either side of him, I hiked up my skirt. Gripping his rubber-sheathed penis, I slid the tip back and forth across my clit a few times before finally guiding it to the entrance and pushing him inside me.
"Ohhh…" I said, throwing my head back as I felt the pleasure of his fullness inside me. Then, I began to move. Up, down, back and forth. Zen's hands gripped me hard around the hips, pulling me close toward him, pushing himself in deeper.
"MC, MC, MC…" he said. Zen kept whispering my name over and over as we moved faster together. My pleasure was building again, matching his with every thrust of of my hips.
Suddenly I felt his lips close again around my nipple, the sucking a little more intense than before. "Oh yes, Zen," I said, in response. "That… Oh, god…"
I guess we'd found something new I liked. I closed my eyes picturing Zen's gorgeous red lips anchored to my nipple, sucking away. The feeling of him doing this coupled with the image of it in mind was enough to undo me. I held my breath for an instant as my next orgasm hit and washed through me. As I quaked and shuddered, I felt my vaginal walls close and compress several times around Zen's dick deep inside me as I came. He felt it, too.
"MC, oh you're… oh, god, I can feel it… oh my god…" he said, and then his red eyes rolled back as his bottom half clenched. Not two seconds later, I felt him shudder and release his load. "Oh god, mannn…."
When we were both finished we, gripped each other gasping and shaking. A minute later, I realized I was crying.
"Oh god, MC," Zen said as he touched the tears on my face. "I didn't… I didn't hurt you, did I?"
The look of concern on his face made me smile and then I began to laugh.
"No, my lovely Zen," I said. "You certainly didn't hurt me, not at all."
We both went into our separate gender-specific bathrooms to clean up and then came back to our table to finish our dinner. I wish I had brought another pair of panties because mine were still wet from earlier activities.
"I kind of like the fact that you're not wearing any panties right now," Zen said, his red eyes narrowing dark. "It's kind of hot."
It did feel kind of hot, my bare skin rubbing against bare skin, but I tried not to think about it. Instead I focused on the fish-shaped bun I'd abandoned earlier.
"This is sooo good," I said, taking another bite and then a sip of beer. Zen had brought a couple of Kass beers in his clever little picnic basket and packed them with an ice pack, so they were still cold.
"Yup," Zen said, lifting up his can of beer to toast mine. "This is the life…"
I smiled, feeling pretty sure that I had never, ever felt this happy. I realized that it nearly always felt this way with Zen. Each time I spent with him I was certain it was the best, like it couldn't possibly get any better. Then the next time we'd hang out, somehow it always managed to be, well, just better. What would it be like, if things just kept getting better and better? Might I just one day explode with happiness?
"Thanks for bringing me here, Zen," I said, feeling completely grateful. I felt the full weight of my feelings, my heart swelling with affection for the beautiful god sitting across from me.
"You don't have thank me," Zen said, smiling. "But you're welcome."
For a few moments, we sat there quietly together, nibbling on fish-shaped buns, sipping beer and soaking in the scenery. The sun had gone down by now - we had missed the sunset, having been obviously distracted by other activities - and the lights of city were twinkly and bright like urban stars.
"Hey," Zen said, out of the blue. "Do you want to do something crazy?" His eyes were sparkling and mischievous. I giggled.
"Didn't we just?" I said.
Zen bit his lower lip and smiled. I could only imagine what he was remembering. It made me smile back, and want to start doing it all over again, too.
"Yeah, but what about something even more crazy?" Zen reached over and started tracing what looked like a figure eight, only sideways on my bare knee.
"More crazy with you?" I laughed. Well, it was working for me so far. "I'm all in. What do you have in mind?"
Zen looked me in the eyes, with a look so piercing and sincere I felt something like a lightning bolt surge through my heart. "How about forever?" he said, still tracing that figure eight shape on my knee.
"Forever?" I repeated, puzzled.
"Yeah, will you forever me?" Zen said, a lock of silver hair shifting to cover his eyebrow.
I looked at him, still confused. Yeah, sure I'd forever him. I knew I wanted to be with him forever, for all time, but what was he talking about? Suddenly my heart jumped into my throat. Shit, was he going to propose? I looked across the table at him, but he wasn't handing me a little box. Instead, he was handing me an envelope. So he wasn't going to propose. I breathed a sigh of relief. Although I was pretty sure I'd say yes in a heartbeat, it still felt a little too early for a big step like that.
"What is this?" I said, accepting the envelope.
"Open it," Zen said, so I did.
Inside the envelope was a piece of paper with a drawing on it. The drawing was of an infinity symbol - basically a figure eight on its side - interlooped with two red hearts. It was simple, pretty. I still didn't know what it meant.
"OK," I said, shaking my head. "I'm sorry, babe, but I still don't get it... What is this?"
"It's something I made," Zen said. "For us." My eyes popped wider.
"You drew this?" I said. Wow, I knew Zen could sing, dance and write poetry, but he could draw, too? Sigh. So friggin' handsome and talented. Again, I had that feeling, wondering if it were possible to die of happiness.
"Yeah," Zen said, smiling sheepishly. "I made it for you."
"So handsome and talented," I said.
"Very handsome," Zen corrected.
"Yeah, whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "So what's it for?" I turned the drawing around to look at in from different angles. It seemed a little simple and small to hang on a wall like a proper piece of art.
"Well, it's not about what it is or what it's for," he said. "It's about what it's going to be… It's a design for tattoo…" My eyes widened. "A tattoo for us…"
"Us?" I said, swallowing. I'd told him a few weeks ago that I'd always wanted a tattoo, but that I just didn't have any ideas about what it should be... God, was he really always listening to me?
"Yes, for us," Zen said, reaching for my hand across the table. "The infinity symbol, well, it means 'forever', which encapsulates my feelings for you… The hearts, well, they're us…" Zen's red eyes continued to search mine as his thumb traced a figure eight on my wrist. "I thought that maybe we could each get them on the left side of our chest, just above our hearts…"
I sighed, feeling the weight of his meaning. I think was starting to realize what Zen meant when he was asking me to "forever" him. "You want us to get matching tattoos?" I said, a lump forming in my throat. God, had anyone ever made such a grand gesture?
"MC, I'm only asking…" Zen said, his red eyes searching my brown ones for clues. "I mean, no pressure… you just said and so I thought…"
In the space of a minute, I already realized how much I wanted to forever Zen with a forever tattoo on my body, but I couldn't help but hear Jaehee's voice of dissention in my head. No doubt, she would be worried about his reputation as an actor.
"But what about your career, your body…?" I said. My thoughts immediately catapulted to future scenes of More Than Friends… What would Ji-yoo say when she encountered a foreign tattoo on Lovey-Hunny's body? Not a happy scene, I'd expect.
Zen sighed. "In the end, my body is my body," he said. "Besides, makeup can work miracles these days...If my real-life conflicts from my fake-life, well then, they can just cover it up with epoxy or whatever…"
"Let's do it," I said, smiling on my face. In my heart, I said "fuck you" to everybody, and especially to Echo Girl.
Author's note: a little longer and a little saucier than usual...but whatever, everyone's safe and being consensual, which is the most important part. Thanks again (and always) for reading, reviewing and commenting... Not sure exactly what's coming next, but stay tuned!